It’s been little over a year since Mahesh Bhagwat, IPS, took over as Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda. While his contributions and achievements are a testimony to his work, Mahesh is not someone who relies on past laurels. “I’m passionate about my job and the zeal to thrive on excellence constantly keeps me going,” he says.
The other side
An IPS officer for over three decades, Mahesh is also a nature lover. He has adopted and restored the 90-acre Saroornagar lake, which was once filled with debris and dubbed as a suicide spot since the last few years. “We have installed 20 CCTV cameras and have set up a police outpost for patrolling and preventing anti-social activities and suicides at the lake,” he says.
But how does he find time for his family? “Initially, me and my wife, Sunita M. Bhagwat, IFS, Commissioner of Telangana Tourism, found it difficult to strike a work-life balance because of the work pressure and constant travel. But thanks to my father-in-law who helped us to decode it,” reveals Mahesh, who mentors civil services aspirants.
“I started my career as a social worker, but aspired to get into the civil services. I had to quit civil services training due to financial constraints, but my teachers encouraged and helped me to crack the exam. So I take inspiration from my mentors,” recounts Mahesh.
“Reading, writing books, organising cultural activities like Marathi plays and going on a family holiday are my stress busters,” he adds.
Helping drug victims
While people are still reeling in the recent Hyderabad drug racket bust, Mahesh wasted no time. After he found students involved in a drug racket on the city outskirts, under his commissionerate he introduced Naya Savera, a first-of-its-kind anti-drug initiative in educational institutions.
“When we asked one student why he took drugs, he replied saying that someone told him it would make his face glow. Students are being misled. We realised that the problem should be addressed at the grass-root level since youth are the prime target, that’s when the thought to counsel students was triggered. We conducted seminars in colleges on the harmful effects of drugs. We are also holding discussions with students, parents and the college management,” he says.
So what’s the approach towards a victim? “We need to make them feel comfortable. We send students to a professional counsellor. Asking the victim to take a break from the routine, go on a holiday, etc., are some of the advises given to them.”
“Booking cases against students in our impromptu drunken driving checks has fetched great results. We are sending them — along with their family — to counselling centres, apart from apprising the management of their respective colleges. This has prevented repeated offenders,” he adds.
Unique initiatives
- Margadarshak: To support women in distress, identified girl students and women employees to act as facilitators among victims, management and police
- Sociopsychological counselling for students who are caught eve teasing
- Stress Management Programme at all police stations to improve productivity
- Educating aspirants who want to join the police force
- SHE Shuttle buses to the Uppal-Ghatkesar IT corridor
- A record 600-plus traffic awareness and road safety programmme
